West Coast Avengers (MCU)

Return of Baron Mordo

Our Pigeons Come Home to Roost

2

APR/17

A couple months of routine later…

Jessica Drew has been working on iterations of her Spider Woman costume and developed the ability to glide. With Jessica becoming an agent, Doug Dugan has stepped up as our SHIELD liaison. And Doctor Strange has taken off to lead the uprising against Dormmamu in the Dark Dimension.

In the middle of a training session, Dugan calls us to the situation room.

Frankenstein: "That doesn't sound like donuts."

Dugan: "Tim, get us donuts…and coffee."

He informs us that Baron Mordo has escaped.

After our last encounter, Mordo has been wearing a mask and has recovered his sight. He was in a prison in Transylvania but has escaped. SHIELD is not welcome by the monarchy, so our ability to act is limited. Moon Knight suggests that Steven Grant has some investments in the country — giving us a reason to be there — and the rest of the team can travel as his entourage.

We arrive in Bucharest and the SHIELD agents there present us with a locked room mystery. Mordo is in the room and then he isn't. Traveling to the scene, we realize the tape was looped. Carol notices a wear pattern on the floor where he paced and some magical energy centered around the wall. Quick research reveals a on-in-a-hundred-and-eighty-years planetary alignment at the moment of his disappearance and it becomes obvious he opened a magical portal and stepped through.

With no other leads, we head to Baron Mordo's castle in Transylvania. Razorblade is able to sense residual magical energy in the second highest room — Mordo's old laboratory, so that's where we start. The room has been ransacked, some things overturned, others missing.

At the same moment, Moon Knight's ankh begins to glow and Captain Marvel senses an energy sink in the doorway to the room. Moments later a mist forms and out of it steps a very handsome man with black hair dressed in an immaculate black suit, scarlet, patterned tie and a sun-burst symbol medal.

Stranger: "I suppose I should be honored to receive a vist from the famous Avengers."
Frankenstein: "Oh we aren't the <u>famous</u> Avengers…"

Count Drake: "That would cause more of an international incident than I am interested in. We can talk about this further. I will meet you at the restaurant of the Grand in Bucharest." And he departs back through the mists.

Doctor Frankenstein: "Razorblade, you just insulted a Count who could have us all terminally vampired! You all would not have survived 1930s Germany."

Reserach reveals that Mordo has a thing for old castles — he's even rebuilt a few — and has several throughout Europe and Western Asia.

We meet the count. The wine is quite good and he drinks along with us. Frankenstein subtly tries to get as drunk as possible

Moon Knight: "We apologize. We Americans are quite boors."

Count Drake: "Your self-deprication does you credit"

Moon Knight: "Oh, I'm quite good at that."

Drake proves to be a gracious host. He knows America quite well, having attended Columbia University. The dinner is both Halal and Kosher, with Drake openly acknowledging Spring-Heeled Jack's dietary restrictions, and he eats with us. Both Jack and Frankenstein are left wondering how he knows Jack is Muslim and that Frankenstein was Jewish.

Razorblade asks about Drake's relationship to Mordo. "Occasional collaborators, occasional adversaries. The baron lacks long-term vision, concerned more with immediate results. His disappearance does concern me. left to his own devices he can be a very dangerous man."

Razorblade: "Looks like you could be a dangerous man too."

Count Drake: "You could say that. But there are rules. Mordo has breached his social contract."

Razorblade: "Can you lend aid in finding him?"

Count Drake: "There is no extradition between our countries. If he was tried in another country there is nothing I could do to stop it. It is in everyone's best interest if he is out of Transylvania, which my network indicates is the case. Here is my card. My people will give you what information we have on Mordo, that is the best I can do."

Is he a vengeful man? Yes.

Doctor Frankenstein: "Is he going to be upset about me scarring his face? (I think I drank more than I should have)." Yes

After dinner Moon Knight does a bit of patrolling.

The next day we travel to G'Dunsk to follow up at Mordo's facility there. Carol (rolling 00) confirms something was in the laboratory half an hour before.

We are interrupted by the sounds of gunfire and body impacts. We rush into the hall to see a hooded, green-cloaked figure choking out the last SHIELD agent in his metal fist.

Razorblade kicks him in the back and knocks him to his knees. Captain Marvel takes him the rest of the way to the ground and Moon Knight and Spider Woman secure him. An explosion knocks us away (and hurts!). The next round, only Spider Woman lands a decent blow. Frankenstein tries sitting on his head, which ends when the figure levitates and turns to face us.

Our opponent wears grey, Iron Man-like armor, crafted to look medieval. He is bedecked in a green tunic with a large letter Psi on it and large shoulder pauldrons. The mask… is made into the visage of Baron Mordo!

Razorblade stabs him in the eye, Marvel uses her flash and Moon Knight slams him with a baton. Jack slams into him with no effect. Frankenstein tugs on his cloak and pulls him back to the ground. "Somebody get me a screwdriver!"